Method for arranging a functional layer on a plastic component, and a composite made thereof

Abstract

A method for arranging a functional layer on a plastic component of a lighting device and a composite made of the plastic component and the functional layer, in particular a frame, an outer rim, a support frame, an inner lens, a retaining element, or the like is provided. The method includes that a film-like laminar composite is provided that has the functional layer and a substrate. The laminar composite is placed in a holding fixture. A vacuum is turned on in the holding fixture and suctioning of the laminar composite by means of a suction area of the holding fixture is performed. The plastic component is arranged on the laminar composite, and at least areas of the laminar composite are welded or bonded to the plastic component by means of a welding method or by means of an adhesive method.

Claims

1. A method for arranging a functional layer on a plastic component of a lighting device, a frame, an outer rim, a support frame, an inner lens, a cover plate, or a retaining element, the method comprising: providing a film-like laminar composite comprising the functional layer and a substrate; placing the laminar composite in a holding fixture; turning on a vacuum in the holding fixture; suctioning the laminar composite via a suction area of the holding fixture; arranging the plastic component on the laminar composite; and welding or bonding at least areas of the laminar composite to the plastic component via welding or an adhesive.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a photopolymer layer comprising at least one hologram or decorative film or diffractive optical film is provided as the functional layer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laminar composite is placed in the holding fixture with an orientation in which the substrate faces in a direction of the suction surface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laminar composite is placed in the holding fixture with an orientation in which the functional layer faces in a direction of the suction surface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the welding or bonding of at least areas of the laminar composite to the plastic component is carried out under an elevated temperature of the laminar composite relative to the plastic component.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the suction surface of the holding fixture is provided with a porous metal body through which a full-area vacuum is created at the laminar composite.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a full-area plastic component is used for arrangement on the laminar composite, wherein the laminar composite is suspended on and welded or bonded to the plastic component via a web, so that a spacing is created between the full-area plastic component and the laminar composite.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frame-like plastic component is used so that the laminar composite is freely suspended in the frame-like plastic component after the welding or bonding.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a tension is created in the laminar composite in an arrangement of the laminar composite on the plastic component through cooling of the laminar composite after the welding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a holding fixture with a laminar composite arranged on the top, and a plastic component arranged thereupon,

(3) FIG. 2 is a detail view of X from FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holding fixture,

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates am exemplary embodiment of a composite made of a plastic component with a laminar composite, wherein the plastic component is full-area in design,

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the composite with a laminar composite and a plastic component, wherein the plastic component is designed to be frame-like and to have an opening,

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the plastic component with an opening for arranging a laminar composite comprising a functional layer, and

(8) FIG. 7 is a composite made of the plastic component from FIG. 6 and a laminar composite comprising the functional layer, wherein the laminar composite is represented as only partially arranged in the opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a holding fixture 14 in cross section. Located on the top of the holding fixture 14 is a porous metal body 17, wherein the upward-facing free surface of the porous metal body 17 forms a suction surface 15. Applied to the suction surface 15 is a laminar composite 12, which makes full-area contact with the suction surface 15. Above the laminar composite 12 is located a plastic component 11 that comprises a frame cross-section 20.

(10) The holding fixture 14 has a vacuum connection 23, with which a vacuum can be produced in the porous metal body 17. The laminar composite 12 is drawn against the suction surface 15 of the porous metal body 17 by the vacuum, so that the laminar composite 12 clings tightly to the suction surface 15.

(11) The plastic component 11 can be accommodated in a sonotrode. With a vertically directed normal force applied to the suction surface 15, the plastic component 11 is set into a preferably lateral oscillatory motion with the sonotrode. Due to the oscillatory motion, an ultrasonic welding is achieved between the laminar composite 12 and the plastic component 11.

(12) In order to heat up the laminar composite 12 before and/or during the welding, the holding fixture 14 has a heating unit 22, which is schematically shown in the form of heating wires. The entire laminar composite 12 within the continuous weld region is heated uniformly due to the heatable holding fixture. In particular, in this case the region where the weld seam is produced between the laminar composite 12 and the plastic component 11 is heated. The detail X is shown enlarged in FIG. 2, which follows.

(13) In the detail X, a section of the arrangement of the plastic component 11 with the frame cross-section 20 on the holding fixture 14 is shown. The holding fixture 14 includes the porous metal body 17, the top of which forms the suction surface 15. The laminar composite 12, comprising a functional layer 10 and a substrate 13, rests flat on the suction surface 15 of the porous metal body 17. Formed on the plastic component 11 is a web 16, which preferably can form a continuous, closed contour. The web 16 seals against a solid contact edge 18, together with the composite located therebetween, wherein the contact edge 18 simultaneously encloses a portion of the porous metal body 17, which can thereby produce a vacuum with which the laminar composite 12 can be drawn against the suction surface 15.

(14) When the plastic component 11 is set in oscillation with a sonotrode, the face of the web 16 welds to the laminar composite 12. The web 16 is implemented as a continuation of the frame cross-section 20, wherein the frame cross-section 20 surrounds an opening 21. If the composite composed of the plastic component 11 and the laminar composite 12 is removed from the suction surface 15 after the welding in that the vacuum is switched off, then the laminar composite 12 within the web 16 shrinks upon cooling due to thermally induced changes in length, and stretches in consequence, so that the stretched region of the laminar composite 12 with the functional layer 10 closes off the portion of the opening 21 of the plastic component 11. If a hologram is recorded in the functional layer 10, it can be viewed, in particular through the opening 21 of the plastic component 11, or the hologram is illuminated, in particular from the rear, through the opening 21.

(15) The weld 19 is formed only between the web 16 and the laminar composite 12 in this process, wherein the functional layer 10 faces in the direction of the web 16 by way of example. It is likewise possible that the laminar composite 12 rests on the suction surface 15 in the reverse manner, so that the substrate 13 faces in the direction of the web 16. It is possible in both positions for the laminar composite 12 to be welded to the web 16 of the plastic component 11, wherein both film-like layers of the laminar composite 12, which is to say the functional layer 10 and the substrate 13, can be locally melted and welded during the welding process.

(16) FIG. 3 depicts the holding fixture 14 with the porous metal body 17 and with a continuous welding frame 24 in a perspective view, wherein the suction surface 15 is formed on the top of the porous metal body 17 and is enclosed by the continuous welding frame 24 under the overlying plastic component 11. A suction effect can be produced on the suction surface 15 with the vacuum connection 23, because even though the porous metal body 17 does essentially form a flat surface, a full-area suction effect on the suction surface 15 can nevertheless be achieved due to the porous properties of the metal body 17. For this purpose, the vacuum connection 23 is connected to the porous metal body 17 by a vacuum connection. The continuous welding frame 24 in this case is made to overlap the web 16 of the plastic component 11, wherein the laminar composite 12 is arranged between the web 16 and the welding frame 24 when the plastic component 11 is arranged on the welding frame 24, as is shown in cross-section in FIG. 2.

(17) FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a plastic component 11 with a full-area design. The laminar composite 12 comprising the functional layer is held at a distance from the surface of the plastic component 11 by means of the web 16. In this way a composite 1 is formed that can form a lens or an inner lens as the plastic component 11, for example.

(18) FIG. 5 shows, in a variation from FIG. 4, the composite 1 includes the laminar composite 12 with the functional layer, wherein the laminar composite 12 is arranged at a distance from the plastic component 11 by the web 16. The plastic component 11 has an opening 21 so that the laminar composite 12 with the photopolymer, and including the hologram, can be used within a frame.

(19) FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a plastic component 11 in the form of a frame of a taillight with an opening 21.

(20) FIG. 7 shows the plastic component 11, wherein a laminar composite 12 is welded into the opening 21 by a weld seam 25, wherein the weld seam 25 runs along the web 16. The laminar composite 12 is partially shown in order to better illustrate the arrangement in the opening 21. In this way, an example of a composite 1 is depicted that has a plastic component 11 in the form of a frame, wherein the frame serves as a support frame for a laminar composite 12 with a functional layer that includes a hologram that can be viewed from the outside of the taillight of a vehicle.

(21) The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.